


Care and Conduct

by butyoumight



Series: Shuffling Your Deck of Trick Cards [9]
Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dubious Consent, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-12
Updated: 2011-06-12
Packaged: 2017-10-20 09:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butyoumight/pseuds/butyoumight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"You're their son," Basco pointed out, and it was obvious by his tone that he thought this completely reasonable. Joe wondered what Basco's story was, how he'd grown up, ended up a pirate.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Care and Conduct

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Episode 15. Alternate Universe as of Episode 16.

Joe hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he was waking up. Curled on his side, still clutching his necklace. Only now with both hands, though his sword still lay propped across his hip. He sat up, instantly alert. Basco was knocking on the bars of the cell with his rings, making some kind of purposefully musical rhythm.

"It's a new day, blue-chan, time to get up!" He sang along with his little tune. The cell opened and he entered, giving Joe his first good look at Basco's current mode of dress. It wasn't so different, really, only without his feathered shawl and ostentatious hat. His hair framed his face in neat waves, held back in some semblance of order by a trailing red scarf. He looked somehow incredibly younger. Not that he looked particularly old on average, but Joe wonders if this was how Basco had looked when he was a member of the Akaki Pirates, exploring the galaxy with Marvelous. He does look strangely more pirate-like. Joe tries to picture Marvelous ever being any way other than the brash Captain that had saved his life, but the image eludes him.

Basco's eyes narrow slightly and Joe stands up, shaking his head to knock his overlong bangs over his face. He was glad to have them back. Basco touched his shoulders, and then reached for the necklace. Joe stiffened slightly, he was beginning to wonder if Basco could somehow read his thoughts. Basco almost never touched the necklace, but he simply tucked it back beneath the collar of Joe's shirt, hiding it from view.

Basco pressed against Joe and maneuvered him back until he was sitting on the edge of the bench. Then he produced a pair of shears from somewhere and began carefully trimming Joe's bangs to a more acceptable length.

He stepped back, hands on his hips, to examine his handiwork. Again Joe was struck by how young and nearly innocent he looked, especially when he smiled and clapped his hands together. "Perfect, now they can see your lovely face. Come now, the days are short here, are they not? We should get going. Sally's already bringing us in to land."

Joe nodded, standing up and retrieving his sword, slinging it at his hip. Over invested in his appearance, he took too long adjusting it to hang at the perfect angle. He had to jog to catch up with Basco on his way to the helm.

Joe went straight to the view screen. They'd already descended through the atmosphere and Joe was shocked that he actually recognized the area, the small mountain range where he'd grown up, the small town in the center valley where he'd attended schooling. Things had changed, of course, not least being the growth of the town. It now almost resembled a city, and just on the other side of the mountains were an odd assortment of spacecraft. His little hamlet had apparently become a port. He couldn't imagine how Basco could have ever gotten so much information on his past, but obviously he had incredible resources.

They weren't headed for the space port, Joe realized they were in a slow sort of decline that would take them right out past the small cluster of mountains to where he'd been born. His father had been a teacher, that was why they lived so near the town.

"What are you doing?" He turned to snap at the monkey, who screeched indignantly in response. Basco patted her head fondly, turning a curious look on Joe.

"What's wrong, blue-chan?"

"You can't just land in their yard." Joe insisted, glancing back at the screen. "Turn around, land at the port. We can walk."

Basco seemed to consider his request, then shrugged. "Do it, Sally."

She stuck her tongue out at Joe before applying herself to the task, and it took an incredible force of will not for Joe to return the gesture.

"It's just rude." Joe explained himself, but only to Basco. He didn't care what the ape thought. "Like kicking down a locked door and inviting yourself inside. We're visitors."

"You're their son," Basco pointed out, and it was obvious by his tone that he thought this completely reasonable. Joe wondered what Basco's story was, how he'd grown up, ended up a pirate.

"I haven't been here in years, too many years. They might not even recognize me. And you..."

"What about me?" Basco's voice was light and teasing.

"How am I supposed to explain you?"

Basco approached Joe, gathering him into a hug. Joe didn't tense on reflex, even when Basco trailed his ponytail through his fingers. "Just let me take care of it, blue-chan. I always have a plan."

Truer words had possibly never been spoken, at least by Basco. Joe finds himself relaxing somewhat into Basco's tender embrace, and only a very small, very quiet part of himself raged at his complacency.

They landed. Basco took Joe by the hand and led him to the hatch as it opened. "Stay with the ship, Sally."

Even among such a varied array of spacecraft the _Free Joker_ stood out, mostly by virtue of its bright color and proud flag. Joe hadn't been off the ship in no telling how long, and untold lightyears away. He stopped and just looked at it for a moment, and decided that despite everything he could not think of it as home. The only home for him was the Galleon.

Basco pulled him out of his regretful thoughts, leading him down the path that had been cut through the mountains to the young city. Joe's parent's home was on the other side.

"It's a very interesting planet, isn't it?" Basco asked conversationally. He never released Joe's hand, even when Joe began to take the lead. Even larger it was the same town he'd grown up in, the layout of the streets unchanged and familiar. "You wouldn't even think it capable of sustaining life, and yet."

"Only very new to space flight too," Joe added. "That's why you don't just land your ship in someone's yard." He glanced at Basco, a slightly mocking smirk turning his lips up on one side.

"Of course, blue-chan, of course. I wasn't thinking." Basco's long fingers squeezed Joe's hand, and it took a concerted effort not to return the gesture.

The walk through the city was short and oddly refreshing. The air was hot and very dry, but fresh, not the recycled air one got used to when they spent all their time on a spacecraft. It felt good to Joe to stretch his legs out properly.

The carefully cut streets eventually turned to rocky paths, natural and thus much smaller than the man-made one that lie between the landing space and the port proper. They led up and down and back and forth and slowly to the other side of the mountains, where the people who made their living in the town had homesteads.

Joe's sense of dread increased as they cleared the final turn in the path to find a wide sandy road leading down a small slope towards the homesteads. One homestead in particular, with the wide, low building that Joe had called home as a child. He found himself suddenly ashamed of his humble background, remembering why he'd left in the first place.

He stumbled slightly when Basco tugged sharply on his arm. Basco released his hand and instead slipped his arm around Joe's waist, pulling him along down the path.

"Wait," Joe said softly, but Basco appeared not to have heard him, or was purposefully ignoring him.

As though by some greater plan, the front entrance to Joe's parents home swung open. Joe pulled back against Basco's insistent pull, and this time Basco stopped, glancing at him then following his gaze down to the building.

Two women came through the door, talking and laughing. The elder was Joe's mother. She hadn't changed much to his eyes, excepting a few lighter streaks her short wavy hair. Joe's breath caught in his throat, he felt like his lungs were being squeezed by some great hand. "Oh."

The other woman was also familiar to him. Therese, the woman who had been just a girl a few years Joe's senior when he'd left. The girl his parents had wanted him to marry. Her hair was no longer a braid halfway down her back, it had been cut into the short spiky style favored by those newly wed. " _Oh_." Joe repeated himself, though this time it was hardly a whisper.

Joe's mother and Therese exchanged a familiar hug before parting, Therese turning to walk somewhat briskly up the path. Right towards them.

Joe stiffened. He shrank against Basco on a reflex he didn't know he had, and Basco squeezed his side.

As Therese approached them, Joe made her a respectful bow, but he couldn't help but meet her eyes for a brief second. She nodded to him as she passed, then stopped a few feet past, turning back slowly.

Joe had possibly never felt a greater desire to simply run away, but with Basco's hand still on his hip it wasn't an option.

"Joe?"

Joe swallowed hard, and restrained the impulse to glance up at Basco. He could feel the older man's smile, though, and he could imagine how it looked.

"Hello, Therese."

"Oh, Joe!" She flew at him suddenly, and Basco finally released him, taking a step back so Therese could gather Joe up into a crushing hug. He was taller than her now, her cheek pressed against his neck as she held him close. "I can't believe it."

She took a step back, holding Joe still at arms length. She examined him critically and he felt a slight blush warming the edges of his ears. Her face bloomed into a wide smile. "You look well, Joe. Very well."

He ducked his head. "Thank you. You as well. Um, congratulations."

She laughed like musical chimes, running both hands over her short hair. "Thank you. Oh, Joe. Are you staying long? Please do. I have to be going, but I want to hear all about your exploits." At this, she glanced at Basco with a curious little smile. Joe read a note of triumph in her expression, and he wondered what she could be thinking. Whatever it was, it was certainly miles away from the truth.

"I'm not sure." He answered carefully. "Maybe. I'll, um. We'll see. I'll be sure to let you know."

She grasped both of his hands and gave him a fierce look. He wondered who she had married, whether he knew the man. He imagined briefly that it could have been him, what he might have looked like if he'd never become a soldier, or a pirate, or whatever he'd become thanks to Basco.

"Please see me before you leave." She pulled away after that moment that felt like a century.

He bowed again, and this time she returned the gesture properly. Basco mirrored Joe's motion, standing just behind him. Therese spared Basco a sweet smile with a touch of warning in her eyes. Again, Joe wondered what she was thinking.

Then she left. Basco put an arm around Joe's shoulder, leaned close to whisper into his ear. "I want to know more, blue-chan. But later. Come," and he led Joe further down the path.


End file.
